1878

 Charles Pickering Hayley forms Chas P. Hayley & Co. in Galle.

1909

 Hayley & Kenny, a partnership formed between W W Kenny and Chas P Hayley, opens in Colombo.

1913

 Hayley & Kenny purchases Thurburn Stores, 400, Deans Road premises.

1936

 Hayley and Kenny becomes a private limited liability Company.

1944

 Chas P Hayley & Co. becomes a private limited liability company and fully owned subsidiary of Hayley & Kenny Ltd.

1952

 George G Hayley with senior executives also subscribing to equity forms Hayleys Ltd. with a paid up capital of Rs. 200,000/-, to acquire from the heirs of the late Chas P Hayley and W W Kenny, the entire undertaking of Hayley & Kenny Ltd.

1954

 Hayleys Ltd., becomes a public Company.

1958

 Shipping agency department is formed, later to be reconstituted as Maritime Agencies Ltd. (forerunner of Hayleys Advantis Ltd.).

1964

 Industries department is formed to manufacture agricultural machinery and spraying equipment.

1968

 Haychem Ltd., a collaboration with Bayer of Germany, is formed to formulate agrochemicals.

1973

 Haycarb Ltd., is formed to pioneer the manufacture and export of activated carbon from coconut shell charcoal.

1975

 Ravi Industries Ltd., a Company engaged in the manufacture of brushes is acquired.

1976

 Dipped Products Ltd., is incorporated to pioneer manufacture of Rubber Gloves.

1983

 The first overseas venture, Sorbtech Inc. (now Haymark Inc.) is formed in USA.

1985

 Overseas marketing companies are formed in Holland, UK, Japan and Australia.

1991
  • Hayleys ventures into hoteliering through its subsidiary Carbotels Ltd.
  • Employee share ownership schemes are introduced within the Group.
  • Hayleys steps into the business of plantations.

1994

 Group’s first overseas manufacturing facility Carbokarn Co. Ltd., opens in Thailand.

2001

 Hayleys steps into power generation in collaboration with AES Corporation of USA.

2002

 Inland marketing companies realigned under 3 focused companies Hayleys Agri Products Ltd., Hayleys Consumer Products Ltd. and Hayleys Industrial Solutions Ltd.

2003
  • Group entered into ship owning business, where Maritime Holdings Ltd. makes its maiden investment in the Container Vessel “Orient Stride”.
  • Dipped Products Ltd’s initial overseas plant is set up in Thailand heralding its entry into the medical glove market.

2006
  • Hayleys adopts a new visual identity replacing its former logo of 50 years with one, more contemporary and representative of the diversity of the Group’s products and services.
  • Hayleys achieves hat trick by winning Sri Lanka’s Best Corporate Citizen title for the third successive year.
  • Mabroc Kelani Valley launches the world’s first “Ethical Tea” to be recognised by the UN’s Global Compact.

2007

 Hayleys becomes one of the first ten signatories worldwide to the CEO Water Mandale of the UN’s Global Compact.

2010

 Hayleys acquires its first city hotel - Ceylon Continental Hotel.

2011

 Hayleys enters in to the aluminum extrusions industry by acquiring the Alumex Group. Hayleys re-enters and wins the Best Corporate Citizens Award for the 4th consecutive year that it took part in the competition.

2012

 Hayleys acquires the Amaya Group.

2013
  • Hayleys enters into wind power generation through Nirmalapura.
  • 3 sectors post pre-tax profits of over Rs. 1 billion for the first time in the history of Hayleys.